Détacher
by Hiding.in.the.cookie.jar
Summary: A speakeasy was an illegal bar back during the prohibition. They were usually in the basement of a small business, like Lisa Cuddy's bookstore. AU 1925. Eventual slash.


**AN: Whoo! First story for this fandom! This takes place in 1925. I have made up my own crap and timeline so this takes place before House's leg and I guess after Wilson's first divorce. Hope you like it and I hope that I know enough about the 1920's to make this work. If I mess up a historical fact, tell me andI can fix it. :)**

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**1925**

It was a nice dream, House would decide after he was rudely woken up by his friend, James Wilson. For almost a year they had shared an apartment at 221B Baker Street and they were nearly used to each other's habits. Wilson was used to House passing out on the sofa drunk but House was not used to Wilson shaking him harshly the next morning - no matter how bad the hangover was.

"We're gonna be late for work," Wilson said when House looked up blearily at him.

"And you are *positive* that we actually have to go today?"

"I'm positive - again -, House. This would a lot easier if you wouldn't get blind drunk every night."

"I resent that - it's not every night... It's *nearly* every night," House remarked, sitting up.

"You shouldn't even be drunk outside Lisa's."

Lisa Cuddy was the beautiful intelligent lady that owned the speakeasy, Détacher*, and the bookstore Bibliotek. She had been House and Wilson's friend before the damned prohibition and they were the first people she went to when she had the idea of making the basement of her bookstore into a speakeasy. Even though the bookstore was small, the basement was large enough to house 50 drunk people (50 drunk people require much more room than 50 sober ones, mind you), a small stage, and a large bar. She employed the same staff from her bookstore and some other irregulars to provide safety and entertainment to her small audiences.

Allison Cameron was the youngest one with the biggest job. She was Cuddy's assistant both in the bookstore and bar. She organized everything down to the last page and to the last lonely ice cube. And even though she tries keeping it a secret, she is in love with House, and has convinced herself that he may possibly fall in love with her. Silly, stupid, little girl.

The bartenders name is Eric Foreman. He was her most frequent customer and was highly educated (especially for his skin color). His only problem was he couldn't keep a decent job (because of the racism that plagued the country) so when he started coming less and less and when Cuddy found out that he couldn't afford to buy anymore books, she offered him a job. Foreman had to swallow his pride and accept the kind offer.

The band that played every night was Robert Chase, Lawrence Kutner, Juan Alvarez, and another fellow whose name no one could quite remember (it may be Billy or some other derivative - he just had one of those faces). Chase was an immigrant hired off the streets; he would play his violin on the same corner as Bibliotek every Tuesday and Friday with his case open for money. Cuddy sold him his first music book when he seemed fresh out of college and several ever since. She had listened to him play twice a week for almost a year when she gave him the job. Kutner was a young man who always wanted to make money off of his saxophone but it seemed like the only way he could manage that was if he sold the thing. His playing was brilliant - don't misjudge him - it's just no one wanted to hire a fresh face in the music industry. Juan Alvarez, everyone knew him as Alvie, was a highly eccentric, hyper man. House was the one who discovered him and his drumming abilities while he was out of town. It wasn't impossible to hate Alvie but it was just highly unlikely that anyone would; he made plenty of mistakes but everyone easily forgave him. And the other chap... Well, no one really knew him before he played for Détacher but he could play any instrument presented to him - trombone, clarinet, drums, piano, and a double bass - his specialty. Anyone would admit that it wasn't the biggest band but they definitely had the best amateur players in all of Jersey.

It was important for every speakeasy to have some kind of protection. Cuddy's protection was mainly Lucas Douglas, a former investigator (the public shouldn't know why he was fired) who was in love with Cuddy. He knew how to fire guns and that was enough for everyone. Alvie would also help if any unwanted people came about but he wasn't nearly intimidating enough. So, every male in the joint pitched in but Détacher was so little-known that no gangsters ever came. Lucas didn't really do anything but stop some rough housing among the customers.

There is one more man to introduce. Ladies and gentleman, Christopher Taub! He is simply one of the rumrunners, along with Chase and Cameron. They get all of the alcohol from various suppliers and sometimes go as far as to steal it from other bars. But the business of having a bar during the prohibition was risky and that's how everyone got their kicks. Take a stupid chance for the adrenaline and the possibly-good outcome.

But back to present day. Mid-1925. House and Wilson are doctors at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. House could arguably be called the best doctor in all of Jersey, he was a prodigy - always being compared to Sherlock Holmes – yet his bedside manner was appalling. If a patient didn't go into the hospital with a mystery illness they would come right back out complaining about the harassment. The other doctors weren't fond of him either, except for wonder-boy oncologist, Jimmy Wilson! When he wasn't too busy being the head of the oncology department, Wilson helped House with some odd cases. Wilson was also compared to being the Watson to House's Holmes (it's a coincidence how much subtext where in those books and how much House and Wilson flirt when they're together and probably shared a bed some nights having intense, hot sex and - WHAT? Who was typing there? That was *not* me. I don't think there is any subtext in Sherlock Holmes (it's all text) at all! And I am sure House and Wilson are nothing more than friends... Yeah).

"Why would I only drink there?" House asked.

"Because whenever you drink you never stop until you black out -"

"I can remember every night perfectly," House cut in.

"- and then go out in public hungover, someone is going to get suspicious eventually."

"If that does happen, I will just tell them I'm anemic. And everyone in the city belongs to a bar - no one is going to care."

"The police," Wilson said, jabbing a finger at him.

"Which is when we go back to the anemia plan. I've had this planned out for a very long time."

"Great - Anyhow, get dressed. Don't forget that we promised Lisa we would come early tonight to help her move some stuff about."

House plucked at his wrinkled waistcoat before standing up. "Do I get to eat?"

"If you get changed in less than two minutes and can eat neatly in the car."

"Have you issued a challenge?"

"Only if you see it as one."

House rushed to his room as Wilson took out bread and jam.

*French for loose.

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**AN: YAY! I hope you liked it. Don't worry, it will get much more interesting.**


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